The environment

We invest to look after our environment across the 2,600 acres of the Port estate as well as looking after the marine environment

Wind Turbines at Avonmouth Dock
Owlets in one of the Port's nesting boxes

Since taking over the Port in 1991 we have planted more than 42,000 trees, created 12 new ponds and 260 acres of wildlife corridors. We have introduced water voles to the wildlife corridors around Royal Portbury Dock and we look after several important bird species - from ringed plovers to birds of prey - which nest here. Up to 2/3 of the Port's electricity is provided by our three wind turbines and we are investing in more renewable energy sources for the future. This is all in addition to our marine environment work[1].

Conservation Projects

The Port’s commitment to the environment is demonstrated through an ongoing programme of conservation projects which have achieved major improvements in the local Port environment over the past 20 years or so. An environmental management plan is implemented for the Port estate and The Bristol Port Company works with interested parties to ensure, where practicable, the preservation and enhancement of habitats and the associated wildlife. Past conservation projects include the establishment and maintenance of wildlife corridors, water vole reintroduction schemes, a successful owl conservation programme, and the creation of ponds for great crested newts, amongst many other habitat creation and enhancement projects in the Port. This conservation programme will continue to evolve in the future.

Environmental Management System

The Company maintains an Environmental Management System[2] (EMS) certified to ISO 14001. The scope of the EMS focuses on the Port’s Motor Vehicle Trade and the company processes that support it, including motor shop services and the maintenance of vehicle compounds and associated infrastructure. Through continuous liaison with Regulators, the Port ensures that it undertakes its operations in an environmentally sensitive way and that any associated risk of damage, disturbance or contamination of our surrounding environment is properly addressed. Several of the Port’s activities and those undertaken by our tenants and contractors present the risk of significantly affecting and contaminating the environment. Those risks are carefully managed with suitable measures to prevent or mitigate any impacts to meet regulators’ requirements.

Resource Management

The Bristol Port Company monitors and, where possible, reduces our consumption of resources and we apply the waste hierarchy approach (“prevent, reduce, re-use, recycle and recover”) to managing our wastes. The Port’s actions to make our use of resources (including electricity, fuel and water) more sustainable, brings economic as well as environmental benefits.

Renewable Energy

Since 2007 three 2 MW wind turbines have been operating within the Avonmouth Dock estate. Our renewable energy enables us to save over 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The Port has permission to construct three more wind turbines in the Avonmouth Docks which will meet the Port’s current and future needs.

The Port is also a co-founding member of the Sustainable Severn[3] group which works with partners such as the RSPB[4] and Regen South West[5] in order to promote tidal energy schemes in the Severn Estuary in a way that maximises economic/energy potential over the long-term whilst minimising damage to environmental and socio-economic interests.